


Tight Spot

by Corvus_Aconitum



Series: Rules And Ties [6]
Category: Grimm (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Insecurities, M/M, Nick Whump, They really do, coarse language, hurt nick, snarky care bear Sean, the usual snark and banter, they need that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-26
Updated: 2020-01-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:13:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22425373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corvus_Aconitum/pseuds/Corvus_Aconitum
Summary: With their relationship still new Nick experiences insecurities he hasn't expected.Blame his hurt state on it. Or the meds? Whatever. Tonight their usual snark and sniping may not what the Grimm needs. Or does he?Or:Sean Renard is a dunce at saying 'I love you.' but he may be surprisingly good at showing that he does....
Relationships: Nick Burkhardt/Sean Renard
Series: Rules And Ties [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/863712
Comments: 16
Kudos: 116





	Tight Spot

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MrsGrimm01](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsGrimm01/gifts).



> It's been some time but out of the blue muse struck me to write a new piece for my 'Rules and Ties' series. That or Renard has paid some henchmen to bribe muse into whacking inspiration over my head. ;)  
> In this one they are already in a relationship.... That said, there will be an in between part featuring their decision to go all in. It will be named 'Tightrope Walk', it's in my head since God knows when and I'll actually manage to write it out... you may have guessed... God knows when. Bear with me, please, it will come, but in the meantime enjoy: Tight Spot

Tight Spot: 

It's been a horrible day, there’s nothing else to say to that. Chasing a criminal has gone spectacularly wrong, a dislocated shoulder and a jobload of bruises is what Nick has gotten for his troubles.

After getting the whole nine yards of hospital treatment - re-setting his shoulder, scans for just about anything, two hours of waiting time and one hostile wesen nurse included - Hank has dropped him off at Sean's home with the firm advice to take it easy and let himself get pampered for a bit. Hank has meant well, Nick knows that and in theory this is where he wants to be most. 

In reality, though, he’s standing in the living room, painfully aware that the house owner may have quite a different opinion on the matter. 

He could have asked Hank to drive him to his own flat, he just hasn't had the heart to tell his partner that his lover is not so much one for coddling and cuddling. That, or maybe Nick would have liked to be taken care of but hasn't been able to admit to himself and Hank that their Captain may not be interested in doing so. 

Well, he's here now and he's in too much pain to contemplate calling himself a cab to his own abode. Sean is still at the station, anyway, so he'll just take a shower to get the dirt washed off and then he'll hide away in the guest room to suffer in silence. 

It's not even like his zauberbiest has never done anything nice for him. He's patched him up when that Klaustreich has bitten him and he's even - in his own, slightly prickly way - comforted him in hospital after he's nearly been roasted alive. It's just that while Sean is very particular about good personal hygiene, which - caked in dirt and too battered to do much of anything - is a little difficult to achieve, he is not very fond of playing caretaker. At least Nick thinks he's not. 

_Damn, these bloody painkillers are making me all fuzzy and slow! I should be able to take a fairly good guess at what Sean may want or not want to do. I’m an effing Detective, I’m trained at reading people. I’m…._

_Shit! Tired and hurting is what I am!_

To be fair, his injuries are not as severe as they’ve been after his run in with Oleg Stark. It’s still enough, however, to throw him off his game and make him generally grumpy. Add moving no quicker than a half dead turtle and you have a fun ensuring mix. 

_Bloody arm sling, bloody bruises, bloody everything…._

Nick is in a real bad mood, yes, he’s aware, thank you very much. Who can fault him, though, when the medication he’s received in hospital is doing everything to muddle his head while doing almost nothing to kill the pain. 

_Must be another thing Grimm metabolism messes up with. Maximum fuzzy head, minimum numbing pain._

>>>

Somehow Nick manages to get his arm out of the medical sling and himself out of his button down shirt. Don't ask how, he isn't sure. He only knows that it's all kinds of unpleasant, not to say downright bitchy, and that he doesn't want to do that ever again until his shoulder has healed. Unrealistic? Maybe. Totally how he wishes to pass the next few days? Make that a clear ‘yes’!

_Whoop, whoop. I'm having so much fun._

Yeah, yeah, self-pity is an unbecoming character trait, nothing new there, but he's alone and just thinking about getting an earful of Sean's no doubt snarky, borderline mocking comments later makes him queasy to the stomach. 

_Where has this feeling come from? It's never been a problem before!_

He _likes_ Sean's sarcasm, his snark and the fact that he keeps him on his toes. It's not Sean's fault that he's feeling like shit and, worse, that certain desires and expectations have snuck up on him ever since becoming a couple. 

Like being cared for. Being pampered just enough to make you feel all fuzzy and warm inside…. Yeah, right, totally Sean’s style. Or not. 

Has he mentioned that today is a shitty day? 

>>>

Hot water is pouring down on him and that's the first good thing about today. Originally he's stepped into the shower to wash but somewhere along the line he's buried that intention as too painful and too much of an effort. Now he's just standing there, head hanging, posture slouched, letting the water run over his body.

_Fuck, it hurts. Body hurts, water doesn't. Water's great…._

Another train of thought makes its way through his head at an even slower pace:

_Sean knows what happened. He's the Captain… and the not truly evil equivalent of a supervillain. Of course he knows…. Hank will have told him that I am in his house…. and injured…. I should hurry... if I want to be finished before he gets here._

At approximately this point the battered Grimm notices that his Bastard Prince has not only returned home, but is also leaning against the inside of the shower door. Naked, arms crossed over his broad chest and watching him for God knows how long while he's standing there doing nothing productive. He ponders trying to look like he's actually washing himself, only to abandon any pretense when one simple movement jarrs a fuckload of different aches. Sean only raises an eyebrow; Nick huffs a sigh that ends in a grunt. He wonders vaguely why Sean is in here. In the shower. Naked….

_Ah. Ooh. Explains that. Him being here can only mean one thing._

"Didn't think I would ever say that”, he mumbles with a sidelong glance at his lover: “But I'm not up to shower sex right now."

Sean steps nearer while one level gaze catalogues every inch of bruised and battered Grimm. The man tilts his head in a so-so gesture. 

"I didn't think I would ever agree to such a statement, but that isn't actually what I have come here for."

Nick blinks. Fucking medication. He needs too damn long to glean any meaning from that. He scrunches up his face in confusion. 

"You haven't?" 

Something flickers over Sean's features, which Nick cannot place. 

_A smirk? Pity? Worry? Fondness? Hah, no! Not really his style._

"As a matter of fact, no, I haven't. Someone's got to make sure you're not still caked in dirt once you are taking up space in my bed, don’t you think?" 

This elicits a tiny, reluctant smile from Nick. It's such a typical statement coming from his Bastard Prince. 

"Huh, figures. You _do_ have a thing for cleanliness, haven’t you? You know… you shouldn't be one to accuse Monroe of OCD tendencies…. Like you did… more than once."

Exasperation flickers across that familiar face. 

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Sue me later. Your back to me now, and quickly."

A command clear as day, no matter for how quietly it has been posed. The expectation to be obeyed. The _knowledge_ that it will happen. This is what Nick has felt drawn to right from the start. Right from that first time in Sean’s office. He almost groans in appreciation. Wouldn't have done anything to keep his 'biest's ego in check, though, would it? Still, it's a thing for him, Nick has to admit. A strength of will well able to match his own. Someone to dominate him when he feels safe enough to let himself be ordered and handled. 

"Yessir." It slips out without a conscious thought and despite recent ponderings Nick wants to bite off his traitorous tongue. 

Pity that he already has his back toward the half-zauberbiest. Of course he has! Being the good little Detective he is, why shouldn’t he jump right at an order without thinking about it for even a second? So damn frustrating. Especially because he knows _exactly_ what expression Sean will sport. Something between smug and self-satisfied. 

"Don't even think about smirking the way I know you want to! Or about making a comment. It was a reflex. Just a damn reflex!", he grumbles moodily and just a little embarrassed. 

A dark chuckle. Sean has stepped very near now. 

"Oh, I know it's been a reflex.” Velvet purr. Amused. And very, very pleased. 

_Oh God, that voice! How can anyone possess such a dead sexy voice and say so many annoying things with it? That shouldn't be allowed…. Fuck, he's talking again. He'll be the death of me._

"And that, my lovely Grimm, only makes it _so_ much better."

Nick is torn between giving in and losing himself in that voice or hating his lover for what he's saying. Pity that his right arm is out of commission. Punching something - or someone - might just bring the right kind of stress relief.”

"I like that reflex very much, I have to say. Seems that I've done something right in training you. Considering how sassy you are on daily basis, one tends to forget."

The Royal is almost flush with him now. So near in fact that Nick feels his body heat despite the hot spray provided by the rain shower. Every inch of him is projecting power, is the epitome of allure. 

Any other day he would have enjoyed their game. Hell, he would have snarked right back, delighted to see the glint in Sean's eyes and the smirk tugging at his lips. Today it just rubs him the wrong way, reopening wounds he hasn't known to be there. 

He makes to whirl back around, start snapping in earnest and all that. The movement is nipped in the butt, arrested by strong hands settling on his right hip and left shoulder. Damn the man for knowing him so well, for being able to read him even while he's facing away. These hands remain where they are. Firm, warm, controlling. Then the half-zauberbiest is murmuring right into his ear:

"Oh no, none of that, Nick. Snapping and bitching, be my guest. Moving around needlessly, not tonight."

Grimms are stubborn by nature and Nick is no exception. He could just wrench free. It would hurt like hell but at this point he doesn't care. He's so damn frustrated! By everything….

…An arm snakes around his torso and pulls him in. It's not manhandling, it's as careful and gentle a movement as Sean has never used before. His anger evaporates, leeched away by surprise and leaving only exhaustion and confusion in its wake. 

Lips are pressed to that sweet spot behind his left ear. Their wet bodies touching. A huff, half frustrated, half something else. 

"Idiot", quipped in a low murmur. Not heated or mocking this time. Warm. It confuses Nick even more.

"I know I can be a bastard. I shouldn't have provoked you like that. Not today. Snap at me for all you like, I know you are frustrated and need to get it out of your system. All good and well. What I won't let you do, however, is re-injuring yourself. You will keep still and you will let me do as I see fit."

This last bit reignites Nick’s anger. He's not normally this irascible, his fuse is just shorter tonight. 

"You are aware that I've only been taking a damn shower?" 

His half-zauberbiest does not step away or end the touch between them. He's like a rock in turbulent waters. Not giving an inch. Nick puts it off to exhaustion that he's staying where he is regardless. Right there in Sean's arms. 

"Hmm, I am aware. And I also know that your right arm should be secured in a sling to ease strain on your freshly relocated shoulder, which makes the simple act of taking a shower, _alone_ at that, a somewhat hare-brained scheme. " 

The Grimm hangs his head. Like a bull ready to charge? Or rather in submission? He ought to be feeling angry….

… Not comforted in that weird, _weird_ way.

He's torn inside. Anger, frustration, tiredness, pain. Feeling chastised, feeling secure. Comforted. 

It's confusing and there's more adding itself to the mix. Observations, sensations…. 

The distracting and absolutely brilliant sensation of hot water easing tense and abused muscles.

The thought and sight of his lover stark naked and adorned by a thousand droplets of water all over that very delectable expense of bronze skin. On second thought this one is even more distracting than the first. 

And most important: The very real possibility that Sean Renard has just had his very own hissy fit at the prospect of Nick either being injured, injuring himself further or generally doing something stupid.

In his haze he hasn't realized what it even means for Sean to have such an outburst. He does now. Nick knows his lover well. He gets snappy or closes off completely, if he's hiding his true feelings. This time it has been the first. So he _is_ worried. Is feeling protective of him. 

Nick's so deep in thought that he notices only belatedly that Sean has gone from holding to… washing him. This is new. His 'biest is many things but he isn't one to enjoy menial work. Like washing someone who isn't able to do that - how has Sean called it - that simple act for himself. His thinking all but stutters to a halt….

A soft, no doubt expensive sponge is soaped up with some even more expensive, spicy smelling shower gel. Gliding over his back and leaving a wet and foamy trail. Sean Renard using a goddamn sponge to gently wash him down. Talk about novel experiences. 

He's come to expect a lot of things from his lover but doing something so simple yet so _caring_ has not been it. And not in the middle of an argument either. When pondering becomes too difficult, he simply concentrates on what he feels:

While not squeamish in the least, his zauberbiest is careful and his ministrations showing a level of attentiveness that Nick has never attributed to the exiled Prince before. Not until now…. 

Something inside the Grimm heals. 

Suddenly feeling isn't enough, he needs to _see_ ! Sean’s expression. His hands, arms, his _body_ moving as he takes care of his Grimm. He twists unthinking, only intent to look his fill. His jaw is cupped, his left shoulder gripped firmly and he's tipped back to face forward before a single stroke of pain can even assert itself. A sigh - this time expressing fond exasperation - then a body touching his and a smooth murmur right in his ear:

"I should have known you wouldn't obey that simple order. Should have tied you up beforehand, really."

Sarcasm without mocking, the snark fairly toned down. Warm. That fondness again. This time it strikes the right chord. 

"Control freak", is Nick's grumbled answer. He isn’t angry anymore. Yes, those bruises are still smarting like hell. He's still muddle-headed but no longer frustrated and itching to punch either the wall or his mate. He hangs his head, closes his eyes. The most basic show of putting responsibility in his Captain’s capable hands. 

"Incorrigible little snit", the Bastard Prince sneers right back, lips ghosting over wet skin. Placing chaste kisses to his Grimm's neck. 

Nick is washed with all the attention to detail and meticulous care that makes Sean Renard their leader instead of their colleague. Chest, back, arms, hair. He likes it. Can let his focus slip away from all else safe the feeling of that soft sponge gliding over his body and a set of careful hands manhandling him as needed. He stops thinking, stops having doubts. And for once fuzziness is aiding him for he easily sinks into a state between waking and sleeping. Still aware of things but all toned down to a gentle maelstrom of sensations and sounds. Okay, and some pretty amusing mutterings from his ‘biest:

“What has that man done to give you such bruises? Some of them are more black than blue. He shouldn’t be in a holding cell, he should be castrated and quartered! I need to schedule time to go to confession soon. Might be that another fellow parishioner needs to be taken care of….” 

Nick strongly suspects that Sean thinks him too drowsy to even hear that. 

“Sean”, he mumbles in barely more than a whisper: “Quit plotting evil deeds, will you? I mean it’s sweet in a warped way… but I would rather have you put that sponge to use for a bit longer than avenge every one of my bruises, okay?"

There’s a disagreeable little huff, which Nick takes to mean ‘spoilsport’ then his wish is granted.

_Hmm. So good._

He thinks to himself: Sean may be a dunce at saying ‘I love you.’ but he is surprisingly good at showing that he does. Without losing his snark or bite or dark humor. Or the villainousness… which is a perfectly serviceable phrase to describe some of his zauberbiest’s darker character traits. Monroe would have a fit hearing it. That makes it all the more serviceable to describe a whole lot of things. He’s veering off topic….

Nick leans back, trusting his lover. He is welcomed with a long-suffering sigh that says 'presumptuous brat' but means 'I have you, no matter what.'. He's moved around with a quietly murmured: "Idiot, the way you are going, you will re-injure something or the other. That would displease me greatly, you know? Not only would I be held out on having my wicked way with you in bed - or some other surfaces that come to mind - but also would one of my Detectives need more sick time. Not good for clearing rates. Come here - just like this - and lean against me before you accidentally kill yourself."

Nick should feel insulted. He feels cherished instead. Must be the damn meds again. Another huff. 

Apropos meds, they are really starting to pull him under now. And still not even taking the edge off his pain. He should be annoyed.

Curiously, instead of being pissed, he finds it's not all that bad. It's okay. Sean will take care of things; Nick will sleep…. 

Taking up space… not in the guest room but in Sean Renard's bed.

Because that snarky bastard of a Prince loves him.

And Nick loves him back.

**Author's Note:**

> Finally Sean got to take care of his Grimm, sarcasm, banter and sharp tongue included. He wouldn't be the half-zauberbiest Nick loves, if he lacked that, would he?  
> So what do you think? I'm happy, if you let me know. ;)


End file.
